Dr Kelly Weinersmith (behavioural ecologist and space expert) and her husband Zach have just spent four years researching a subject that perplexes many of us – why all the fuss about moving to Mars? Which begs, can we actually build a human settlement on Mars? And, would we want to?
They share their findings in their new book A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? which became an instant New York Times bestseller and Scientific American’s #1 Book for 2023.
Kelly, an adjunct with Rice University in Texas, joins me to talk through both the broad and the granular implications of what I think amounts to a “destroy and run” attitude to our relationship with Earth. I have a lot of questions, like: What’s with the tech bros and their obsession with living on a dusty, toxic planet? Who would “own” space settlements? Who would control the oxygen? Surely we’re not going to let Elon run rampant with this? And can you actually have sex in space? If you’re after a TL;DR, Kelly concludes: “Space: quite bad”.
SHOW NOTES
If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" page
For more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!
Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious Life
Let’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BEST OF: OLIVER BURKEMAN. Because his 4000 weeks theory became very hot.
BEST OF: DR JILL BOLTE TAYLOR. Learning to live in the right brain – possibly the best New Year hack ever.
BEST OF: DAVID POCOCK. Want to know more about the Australian Senator making waves in Canberra?
BEST OF: SIA.The chat where I make the artist cry.
I FOUND MAMMOTH DUDE: Special episode
AZIZ ABU SARAH: A radical Palestinian peace broker on how to solve wicked conflicts
SETH GODIN: Ratcheting up the climate fight...with capitalism!
BAYO AKOMOLAFE: The times are urgent, let’s slow down and become a fugitive
HOLDEN KARNOFSKY: The most important century is now. Blimey
CLARE PRESS: There is no such thing as sustainable fashion. Now what?
JENNIFER ROBINSON: Public educated kids speak out!
BEAU MILES: become a backyard adventurer.
KIERAN SETIYA: How to love living a hard life
KIM STANLEY ROBINSON: The greatest living sci-fi author goes hiking
MATT BROWNE: The rise of the bro-caster guru (it’s a thing!)
MARY ANN SIEGHART: Smash the authority gap!
ELISE BOHAN: Ah shit, transhumanism….
JOELLE GERGIS: How an IPCC lead author does climate grief
JOSH SZEPS: In which the Joe Rogan regular interviews ME!
A.C. GRAYLING: How to have your own life philosophy
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Hamish & Andy
The Howie Games
Motley Fool Money
Just the Gist
The Briefing